When Charlie isn't at school, he's welding thousand dollar scrap sculptures

Dunsborough teen Charlie Guiver, just 14 years old, has been teaching himself how to weld intricate sculptures from scrap metal since he was old enough to walk. His latest achievement was selling a large wolf sculpture for $8,000. Amid his studies, Charlie dedicates his free time to weekend and evening sculpture sessions. He sourced his materials from local salvage yards and loves crafting a kinetic eagle that moves with the wind.

Charlie meticulously plans his sculptures, visualizing the final product in his mind before collecting the necessary tools and welding them into existence. For the first time, as part of the Margaret River Region Open Studios event, Charlie is opening his shed studio to showcase his creative process. The event, the biggest of its kind in the country, welcomes 155 artists to open their doors to the public for two weeks from September 12.

Charlie's ultimate aspiration is to travel to Europe with his older brother to learn traditional blacksmithing techniques, though he considers it merely a hobby for now.

Charlie's mom, Kath Guiver, is incredibly proud of her son's talents and acknowledges his early abilities. The Margaret River glass artist, Gerry Reilly, who has opened his studio for the event seven days a week since 1991, will close his studio for the last time. After 50 years of work, he plans to take a break but is also uncertain about his next move.

The event draws visitors from across the state and country to learn about glass blowing skills. Reilly notes that seeing the process firsthand helps people understand the art better. In the past year alone, the event hosted over 100,000 studio visits and generated $2 million in art sales.